The Gathering: Artemis
by Inspirationbynight
Summary: After Oberon goes to fetch Puck, a group of fay and a gargoyle talk about one of Artemis' exploits in the mortal world. Then they find out what happened to Puck and Avalon breaks loose!


After watching The Gathering and reading some posts in Ask Greg, I thought what everyone else at Avalon was doing, particularly Artemis.

This takes place after Oberon has gone to fetch Puck. lol, fetch, Oberon!

I don't own Gargoyles, doubt anyone could 'own' them...'cept maybe Elisa...but that might just be towards Goliath...anyway...

The Gathering: Artemis

Medusa snickered into her her hand as she watched the Egyptian fay go back to his father Osiris. After a millenia, the immortal Virgin Huntress had not changed which was soemthing not all the fay could claim. After all, who could deny that they had not frolicked about with mortals during that vacation Oberon had sent them on aside from Artemis?

"Truely?" Ophelia asked the forever young fay, still unsure how to address Oberon's Children, particularly the ones that still thought themselves gods among mortals. But that was not her worry. She was more interested in the story of the mortal Aktaion who had caught Artemis and her ladies bathing.

Artemis patted her curled hair, ensuring they were still in place. "Well _I _didn't kill him," she answered the gargress, "his hounds did."

Odin chuckled. "Aye, but you did turn him into a stag," he pointed out.

The Nordic fay was especially in a good mood that night, favoring everyone with long looks so they could see his newly re-acquired eye.

Artemis passed a cool gaze over the old fay, drawing her words like an arrow to a bow. "I would have slayed him myself, but I was in the middle of my bath."

Ah the luxuries of the young, the older fay thought to themselves, nodding sympatheticlly or with amusement to Artemis.

Said fay glanced at the empty throne. Titania still had not arrived either.

"Where has Oberon gone to?" she asked with mild impatience, dropping the formality before the King of Fay's name.

Medusa smirked at Artemis' bravado. "Gone to fetch the Puck. The Moon Trio had to finish playing cowboys." Said trio of women glanced over at the group before walking towards Raven and Anansi. No doubt to pester them about their time in the mortal realm and show off by recounting their exploits...year after year...

Another round of laughter. Whatever their territory, the fay had not been idle or ignorant of the changes in the rest of the world.

Artemis turned her eyes upward in boredom yet still keeping her calm composure. "He'll be in trouble for sure," she said with a touch of annoyance.

"I do miss his playing," Bast commented, joining the group. "Watching him try to get a rise out of Anubis always made my day."

Ophelia turned her head towards the throne just in time to see the Mirror glow and bring out the King and Queen of Avalon.

"They've returned," Ophelia announced quietly, bowing her way towards her rookery siblings to take her position as Honor Gaurd.

"Welcome Home, Children of Oberon," Oberon greeted again. Puck was no where to be seen.

No one questioned out loud the trickster's absence, but they would not have to wait long before the bomb dropped.

End of The Gathering: Artemis

Top Trickster

by Inspirationbynight

A.N.: I am so flattered that I was asked to continue, so here's an ending to The Gathering: Artemis.

Disclaimer: See the first chapter.

Coyote's mouth dropped...and so did everyone else's. Puck, banished? Forever?!

Raven crouched on the balcony ledge in his animal form. It was difficult to tell what he was thinking and that was how he wanted it to be. First, the jokes had been bubbling out with ease.

"What did he do, lose his invitation?"

"That hog, he's probably trying to make an entrance."

Then Oberon clarified. The Puck was no longer one of them. Banished forever. Why? The first word every child of every race asks as soon as they are capable of speaking. Why?

_So much for the party,_ Anansi thought to himself, picking up an hordurve with two of his smaller legs.

The humor in the room was of such low grade illusion that Oberon began to question each fay about their time in the mortal realm.

"The Sisters have learned to gossip well," Odin observed. Everyone was beginning to the reason for Puck's banishment.

Ophelia shook her head to convey her disbelief. "Banishment...for protectin' a child? 'Tis what me mine do, it's our life! It is not a wrong to protect a child, a babe!"

"Yes gargoyle, but Oberon was refused. That is what the punishment is for," Bast pointed out. "Any of us would have suffered the same fate or worse. The Puck was one of Oberon's favorites."

Grandmother patted the Coyote's head that leaned against her thigh. "There there child," Grandmother comforted. Raven dove and pecked Coyote's head in passing, earning a yelp of surprise for his effort.

Venus leaned against a pillar attractively, holding a heart-bud arrow loosely in her silky white hands. Banshee looked around in confusion until Anubis kindly relayed the play-by-play of the chaos that was becoming merriment.

Venus borrowed an arrow from Cupid, shot it at Raven, who pecked—or rather love-pecked Coyote, who gave chase thinking he was being picked on and accidentally bumped Pegasus, who kicked up one of the ambrosia punch bowls, which landed on Selene.

If anyone who was not laughing or part of the entertainment had looked up at the throne dias at that moment, he or she would have seen Titania trade a pleased looked with Sagittarius, who gave a slight incline of his head in acknowledgment of betting Venus she couldn't charm Raven even if he let her.

Of course, seeing the Sisters get a little payback was not to be missed, so the tell-tale passing glance was missed and the party picked up anew.

"If The Puck was here to take part..."Anansi mused, teetering on relief that Puck was absent and disappointment that he was not, he raised a rather large goblet before him. "To that infernal trickster who left no one un-targeted and amused all."

"To Puck," Ophelia declared.

"To the Trickster," said Artemis, "who I will miss taunting."

"To Puck and his new life," Odin said and drank from his cup.

"Lucky Humans," Medusa said with a smirk.

Back in Owen's office...

Puck smiled his trickster smile at the festivities in Oberon's hall via a small hand mirror Fox loaned him. The incantation Fox had repeated to him from her mother had worked, to Puck's immense gratitude.

Fox caught the wistfulness in Puck's other wise humored features but said nothing. The mirror gradually darkened until it showed nothing but the holder's reflection. Then Owen took Puck's place in the room, appearing for all the world as if he had not seen his home for the last time.

"They'll never top that you know," Owen said with an impish grin as he returned to Fox her mirror.

Fox grinned back, relieved that Puck would be alright. "It's one for the history books alright." As they walked out of the office together, Fox asked. "I noticed you didn't hang around long after Oberon left. Did you tell my mother to stage all that at the Gathering?"

Owen gave Fox a side long glance. "I believe my paraphrase is "a Trickster never tells his secrets"?

Fox's laughter could be heard down the hall as Owen left for his employer's office. Oh yes, he thought inwardly, I am THE Top Trickster.


End file.
